wileyhk2001-44-943943 One of the many Chinese great films that is severely underrated.The movie starts by a narrative by Cao Cao, stating that the Chinese character of "Righteousness", 義(yi), is composed of a (羊)"sheep" and the word "myself" (我). It implies that according to the ancient Chinese wisdom, there is only a thin line between being righteous and being sacrificed. But in one of the most chaotic era in China, such "righteous" man can not end well. The movie poetically pull off a metaphor that in a world ruled by wolves, sheeps (the righteous man) can only be sacrificed in the benefit of other wolves, which in the movie, are Lord Liu Bei, Lord Cao Cao and Lord Suan Quan.Jiang Wen is really a great actor. His in-depth acting of Cao Cao puts this legendary warlord to live. It is only in the second time watching the film again that I understand Cao Cao's reasons of trying to save Guan YuChang. "I want to see heavens everywhere", Cao Cao to the monk.He understands that in chaotic times what people need most is a hero, a benevolent hero like Guan YuChang that places traditional Chinese values on top of everything. Values that are forgotten. Values that need to be re-established once China is to be unified again.In the movie, these values that Guan YuChang holds sacred are in fact useless and sometimes expendable. Despite his great fighting skills, he is totally defendless against all the manipulative jugglery by all those manipulative people. Guan YuChang in many writings has been depicted as the most "loyal, righteous, brave and dangerous" (忠義勇武) person throughout the Chinese history. But what surprises me is that the movie creates a whole new perspective re-evaluating what a tragic wanderer he really is. He is too loyal to his Master Liu Bei that he loses the woman he loves; too righteous and altruist that he ends up very vulnerable and being hunted; too brave that he is taken advantage of; too dangerous that even the Lord Cao Cao's deputy disobeyed Cao's order and try to kill him. Donnie Yen's acting of Guan YuChang really delivers a sense of helplessness. He is captured by his enemy Cao Cao, despised by the woman he loves and misunderstood by the foolish mass. But there is no even a slightest falter about abandoning the his moral values. He could have chosen a easy way-out by simply giving in. But compromising to the adversities he faces would equal to surrendering all the values he has been taught to believe. A true hero won't do that. Ironically, despite all the Cao's endeavor to save Guan, Guan met his end in the most tragic way and Cao Cao couldn't even lived long enough to see a unified China, nor their sons, nor their grandsons. But heroes and their stories always pass on. So in some way I think Cao Cao did save Guan YuChang. He saved his reputation and reasons for people to worship him as a hero.

kosmasp Donnie Yen is really good at Martial Arts, but you already knew that. Some don't think he's a very good actor though. But the role he has on hand here, is really serving him good. He plays a loner and that suits him very well. The action scenes are phenomenal as expected and the story is good enough (while you could argue there is too much kitsch in it, I think it's the right amount).It's not a masterpiece, but I think it's a good movie overall, with great story points and turns that while you might expect them, they still come down crashing on you. What's also true, the movie does not loose much on a second viewing. I even liked it better the second time around, because I knew where it was heading and could see small touches in between the settings.

Eternality The Lost Bladesman may be marketed as an epic Chinese martial arts blockbuster with Donnie Yen (Ip Man (2008); Ip Man 2 (2010)) heading the cast as well as taking on the role of action choreographer, but there is nothing epic about it, that is if one is talking about the narrative scope of the film. Directed and written by Felix Chong and Alan Mak, the duo that was responsible for the success of the Infernal Affairs trilogy (2002, 2003, 2003), The Lost Bladesman may attract action fans on the basis of their perceived prediction of enjoying a spectacle of dazzling swordfights and quick fistfights. Action fans will not leave disappointed because there are scenes that pit Yen against a horde of sword-wielding aggressors, just as there are scenes of him fighting a fast-and-furious one-on-one battle with a persistent enemy. In one action sequence, the directors are smart to conceal the action behind closed doors. We can't see what the hell is happening, but we know it's hell inside because the whishing sounds of blades slicing through the air are accompanied by loud cries and helpless yells. Someone's head then crashes through the door, leaving a hole in which the camera slowly moves towards. As the camera peeks into that hole, we see a last man standing. That man, of course, is Yen who plays Guan Yu, a famous character in the popular Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, who is a sworn brother of Liu Bei. Liu Bei has insignificant screen time here as the focus is on Guan Yu and his relationship with Qi Lan (Betty Sun), whom he likes and seeks to protect, and with Cao Cao (Jiang Wen), the evil tyrant who is the power behind China's emperor. The Lost Bladesman is not only a more intimate portrayal of Guan Yu, but it also takes a more revisionist approach to developing his character, with a number of scenes depicting his psychological state. Yen's acting fits Guan Yu's dogged determination and resoluteness in the face of life-and-death situations, though in comparison to Jiang Wen's excellent performance, it remains weak. The Lost Bladesman does not reach the dramatic heights of John Woo's Red Cliff (2008, 2009), but it offers a refreshing way to characterize (and not caricaturize) heroes. After all, no matter how fictionalized or mythical these characters now are, they were once flawed humans battling their inner demons and conflicting desires. The Lost Bladesman is not a must-watch, though it will certainly appease action fans, and give others some food for thought. GRADE: B- (7/10 or 3 stars)

howareyouzhang The movie has spent a lot of money like the Water World, which can be one of the worst movie even made. the story was not even true, which will mislead people who do not know Chinese history. there are some good actors who I like very much, but they did not perform in this movie.only one good thing about this movie that is not watching it.the characters in this movie have been twisted. The movie became the biggest laugh stock in China. And the movie makes (they have a lot of influence in China) try to bribe Chinese authority to arrest people who gave bad reviews. Only way I can do this is because I am in UK. To be fair, this is supposed to be one of the greatest movie, they just did not have the ability to make it right.